Fragments of Time
by ShadowMeowth
Summary: A compilation of short stories featuring Hope and Lightning. Mainly based on Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, it may feature works based on XIII and XIII-2 in the future.
1. Twilight

**A/N: **_This drabble was based on a dream I had some months ago. In that dream, Hope was in his 14-year-old body from _**Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII**_, and so I had a headcanon in which he didn't get back his adult body at the end of the game. It was written before the novel was released so we know what happened to him, and some of these stories revolve around this dynamic. You may consider it a possible alternate ending._

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><p><em><strong>Fragments of Time<strong>_

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><p><strong>Twilight<strong>

_**_Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII_**_

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><p>Lightning Farron's icy-blue eyes slowly opened in the dim light of the twilight that came through the window. She stirred lazily on the bed, still sleepy. She loved to enjoy the peace she had finally found in the new world.<p>

She slightly moved her head to the window. There, silhouetted against the reddish light, was a slender teen around fifteen, almost sixteen, with messy silver hair and soft, sweet features. His loose white shirt and gray pants made him look older than he was.

Or maybe that's what Lightning thought, since she knew the secret of the soul the boy who lived with her harbored.

The teen turned to her when he noticed she was awake. A warm half-smile spread across his face, which seemed to light up when he laid eyes on her.

Lightning thought there was nothing more beautiful and mesmerizing than Hope Estheim's smile.

As if he read her thoughts, Hope's smile widened. He turned to the window and carefully downed the orange-colored fabric blind, which under the light of the sunset tinged the room with amber shades.

In that warm penumbra, Lightning delved into the sight of Hope's frame. Her heart was pounding, something that only this boy had managed to do. He turned to her again, with that smile that absolutely captivated her. She was trapped in his net.

Hope moved towards her, climbed into the bed and, still smiling, he got on top of her. Lightning couldn't help but lose herself into the loving stare of his green eyes, her heart beating rapidly and her cheeks dyed scarlet. She let out a content sigh as she felt the boy's breath next to her ear.

"How was your nap?", Hope whispered to her; his sweet, caressing voice, deep like an adult's, sent a shiver down of her spine. She needed to hear his voice every day, so close and warm: it reminded her that he actually was an almost twenty-seven-year-old young man, who was so much in love with her as she was with him.

"Pretty nice…", Lightning replied in the same tone, sighing when she felt Hope's lips gently grazing her earlobe, and then going down her neck. "The only thing left for being completely perfect was you."

He softly chuckled, slowly trailing his lips along her jaw, the soft curves of her cheekbones, tracing every line of her face, before pressing them on Lightning's lips, caressing them gently and gingerly with his, briefly pulling away every few seconds to let the young woman catch her breath before kissing her over and over, drinking into the happiness and joy of being together at last, after so many centuries separated in time and space, in this new beginning.

"Here I am."


	2. Nightmare

**A/N: **_I wrote this one for the Hoperai Week in Tumblr. As I mentioned, I followed the headcanon that Hope didn't regain his adult body back when he was reborn in the new world, before the novel was released. In any case, here it is, some fluffy angst._

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><p><strong><em>Fragments of Time<em>**

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><p><strong>Nightmare<strong>

**_Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII_**

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><p>A loud, piercing scream suddenly woke up Lightning in the middle of the night.<p>

"LIGHT!"

She turned around between the sheets, her heart racing, and confirmed what she already feared when she saw Hope by her side, stirring in his dreams covered in cold sweat and a grimace of deep suffering on his face.

Lightning rushed to shake his shoulders vigorously, trying to get him out of the pit of pain and agony that his dreams had plunged him in.

"Hope! Come on, wake up! It's just a nightmare!"

"No… No! …" the boy whispered, wincing as if he was protecting himself from something. "Stop it! Please, stop it! …"

Lightning hated those nightmares. She hated them so much. She couldn't bear seeing Hope writhe in pain, his voice tinged with absolute horror and panic, his desperate pleas…

"Light! Help me, Light! …", that cry brought her back to reality. When she looked at Hope again, she felt an icy claw clenching her heart when she saw the tears welling up in his closed eyes. "Light!"

Unable to take it anymore, Lightning fell on him; she wrapped her arms around him and tried to hold him to make him stop stirring.

"Hope, I'm here…", she whispered in his ear, trying to wake him up. "Don't worry. I'm here with you. Wake up…"

It took a couple of minutes to make him react, but in the end, Hope's eyes slowly opened. Lightning pulled away a bit from him, and she wished she had not: as always, his eyes were filled by absolute terror, that gleam of insanity, how his pupils seemed to drown in his irises and these in the white of his eyes. His heart was pounding wildly, he was breathing like a fish out of water and he was drenched in sweat.

"… Light?", Hope muttered, his voice broken and strangled, when his terrified eyes managed to focus on her.

She let out a relieved sigh and tightly embraced the small body of the boy, cursing herself as she always did every time she witnessed one of those episodes for allowing Hope to suffer such a torture for nearly two centuries.

"It's me, Hope. I'm right here, by your side. I'm always by your side", Lightning murmured soothingly, trying to calm him down. "It was nothing but a dream."

Hope clung to her desperately, taking refuge in her arms, shaking like a leaf, unable to hold back the tears. Lightning felt her heart break into a million pieces when she felt the boy's body convulse with each sob, clinging to her as if she was to disappear at any time. She stroked his silver hair softly, cradling him in her arms.

How brutal must've had to be the suffering the youth that had once been the brave leader of humanity endured to be left scarred like that.

"Light", Hope managed to say after a while, between muffled sobs. Lightning's heart cracked every time she heard his voice, the voice of the young adult he really was, so broken and desperate. "Please don't leave me… Don't leave me alone… Don't abandon me…"

"I won't abandon you", she whispered in his ear, hugging him with the same need he was clinging to her with, and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I won't ever leave again, you hear me? I won't ever leave you alone again. I promise you, Hope. We'll be together, no matter what."

Hope's breathing calmed and his tears dried gradually upon hearing her words. He still clung to her on dear life, but he no longer trembled so much. He looked up at her, and Lightning saw fear, pain, despair, in his green eyes… but also such intense, visceral, true love.

"… I trust you, Light."


	3. Tickles

**A/N: **_This one was for Hoperai Week in Tumblr as well. Fluff galore, which is pretty much unusual coming from me._

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><p><em><strong>Fragments of Time<strong>_

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><p><strong>Tickles<strong>

_**Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII**_

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><p>In many ways, the fact Hope hadn't yet regained his true adult body greatly frustrated Lightning. He was growing up a lot faster than expected, since in just six months he looked like a sixteen-year-old, but even so, it was irritating for both having to wait.<p>

But, in other things… it was quite practical.

Lightning had woken up early in the morning, as usual. Hope's sleep schedule varied, but last night he had another of his terrible nightmares and he had such a hard time trying to go back to sleep. So she decided to let him rest as much as he needed.

It was almost noon and Hope hadn't given any sign of life yet. Lightning sighed, shaking her head, and went up the stairs to the upper floor of the small house in which they both lived.

She leaned against the door frame of the bedroom they shared, watching the slender figure of the teen sleeping peacefully wrapped in the sheets. She felt bad having to wake up him… He looked so adorable. A feeling that was slowly being replaced by Hope's attractiveness as he grew up, but still lingered in his teenage form.

But she had to wake him up, or he wouldn't sleep that night.

Lightning came to the bed, knelt beside him to get to his height and slightly shook his shoulder.

"Hope", she said to him with a smile. There was no answer but a slight groan, and she insisted with a little more force. "Come on, sleepyhead. It's time to get up."

"Mph…", the teen turned his back to her, wrapping himself with the sheets, more asleep than awake. "Give me just a little more…"

Lightning sighed, crossing her arms. The days Hope was a heavy sleeper, it was almost impossible to make him react.

But then she had an idea. Now that Hope hadn't yet regained his adult body and he still wasn't as tall as she was, it would be easier to put the plan into practice.

"Very well, Hope. You asked for this", Lightning murmured, smiling mischievously. As quick as lightning, true to her name, she climbed into the bed, boxed Hope between her arms and pinned his legs with hers.

"… Light?", still half-clouded with sleep, Hope's green eyes tried to focus into her, confused. "What are you–?"

Before he could even finish the question, Lightning wriggled her fingers against the teen's sides, with that naughty smile on her lips. Immediately, Hope flinched instinctively trying to protect his flanks, while a muffled laugh escaped his throat.

"Light, no! Please, stop tickling me!", he managed to stutter between laughs, unsuccessfully trying to get rid of her, but Lightning had the advantage in that fight. She mercilessly attacked his sides, his belly, his neck, so quickly that Hope couldn't even see the young woman's hands coming.

"This is what happens when you ignore me…", Lightning said maliciously, deftly catching his right arm to slide her fingers over his ribs. "Such lousy regards you have with me…"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, Light!, but, please, stop!", Hope could barely breathe from laughter, curling as if he could protect himself that way from the tickles. Lightning ignored his pleas and continued to do her thing, laughing as well.

"You should have thought about it before. Now it's time you pay the consequences."

For a few more minutes, Lightning kept torturing Hope with all the tickling, until, without warning, he gathered his remaining forces and managed to escape from her grip and pull her down, trapping her in the same way she pinned him earlier on.

"I've got you…", Hope grinned mischievously, gasping, with his face dyed scarlet, his silver hair messier than usual and his white shirt completely wrinkled. He held Lightning's wrists in his hands, although she made no effort to release herself.

"Oh, damn…", Lightning gave him the same playful smile. "Looks like you're not as asleep as it seemed. You even managed to catch me off guard…"

Hope leaned forward, without losing the smile that drove Lightning crazy, something he perfectly knew. He stopped his face barely an inch from hers; the young woman felt his warm breath on her lips.

"Cornering me like this, Light…", Hope murmured, never taking away his eyes from hers, staring at her with a naughty sparkle in them. "Such little respect you have for my personal space."

Before she could reply, the teen closed the distance between them, linking his lips with Lightning's and gently pressing against them, eliciting a sigh from the young woman that was drowned in the kiss. She immediately relaxed, as she always did whenever Hope took the lead.

"Look who's talking", Lightning jokingly protested when they pulled away, raising her eyebrows. "You claim I invade your personal space when you're the first one that joins in to do the same."

"And more that I could do so…", Hope snickered, accompanying his words by slowly trailing Lightning's neck with his lips. "But that moment hasn't come yet."

Lightning giggled, and pinned down as she was, brushed her nose against Hope's forehead to get his attention while trying to free her legs from his.

"It's you who doesn't want to", when Hope looked up, she stole him a quick kiss, and then looked at him pretending a pout. "What a gentleman you are, making your lady having to ask you to invade that space…"

"Don't tempt me", Hope smiled naughtily, though he was blushing as much as her. "How about I pay you with your same coin?"

"Oh, no. No way", Lightning stirred, giggling, trying to shake Hope off of her. "Don't even think of tickling me!"

"It's you who started it, Light", Hope replied, sliding a finger deliberately slowly down the young woman's side. "What goes around, comes around."

"Come on, I did it for your own good!", Lightning sulked, but that expression didn't last long when a small laugh escaped her mouth. "After what happened last night, I thought you'd feel better after laughing a bit, don't you?"

Hope's gaze softened as he realized what Lightning truly intended to achieve with that tickle attack. He stared at her so lovingly that for a few second Lightning was left breathless, drowned in his marvelous sea-green orbs.

But not so long after, Hope gave her that mischievous smile of his, and caught her lips between his in a playful kiss that Lightning didn't hesitate to return.

"If that's so, then let me return the favor… As long as you agree about I invade your personal space."


	4. Blood

**A/N: **_Another story I wrote for Hoperai Week. I'd always wanted to write something like this, and it gave me the chance to do it. It's one of my favorite drabbles I've written._

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><p><em><strong>Fragments of Time<strong>_

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><p><strong>Blood<strong>

_**Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII**_

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><p>Going back to a relatively normal life was something that both Lightning and Hope greatly thanked, specially after everything that had happened. Yes, there was still the fact of the situation Hope was stuck on, and both –as well as their friends– kept their powers. But otherwise and compared to their recent experiences, it was a fairly normal life.<p>

Obviously, it had its drawbacks. Particularly for Lightning.

It had been more than six months already since they had arrived to the new world, but she didn't get used again yet to the monthly women's issues.

"I hate being a woman", Lightning complained, lying on the couch, her head on Hope's lap. It usually was the other way around, but that day she was worn out by the pain. "And until now I didn't remember why."

"Exactly since last month", he teasingly said, stroking her hair. "You always say the same thing every time. But, you know, I like you being a woman."

"Oh yeah, you're not the one who bleeds to death at the slightest movement you make, your bowels hurt as if you had a thousand knives stabbing you and suffer these terrible headaches…", she snorted out of sarcasm. "How easy is to get only the best part, huh?"

Hope gave her an amused, yet tender, smile.

"Fortunately or not for me, I can't give you my opinion. As you probably understand, it's not a subject I'm very experienced on."

"No, I guess not. Otherwise, I'd be seriously worried", Lightning raised her eyebrows; Hope laughed at her comment. "Anyway, I can't take it against you. You've got enough having to endure my bad days each month."

"And you've got enough having to endure those bad days", he replied smiling. "It's a pleasure for me to look after you. It's usually you who look after me."

That was true, in part. Hope was an adult despite his looks, and he could take care of himself overall. He was the one who did the housework while Lightning was working at the local newspaper, and who was in charge of the cooking. But he had always been sickly, and fell ill with considerable ease, which is why she had to look after him.

"You're such a sweetheart", Lightning smiled wearily. Hope had insisted she stayed home that day. He had left a soup boiling in the stove, and had been all morning with his eyes after her. "I don't know what I have done to deserve having you here by my side."

"Neither do I, but honestly, I don't care. It's enough for me being with you, after all the time I spent searching for you. Even if it is in this form", Hope said opening his arms a bit, as if he were indignant.

Lightning laughed, but the simple effort made her cringe in pain, and she put a hand to her lower belly with a grin.

"Damn it…"

Hope frowned, concerned. Maybe it was because her body had been modified at the hands of the gods, but Lightning had been bleeding heavily, more than usual, since she regained her fully human condition. He hated to see her in so much pain: the gods broke the bodies of both, in different ways.

He wondered if he could do anything to ease her pain. He wasn't a medical expert, but he knew there was something he could do… He had an idea. He could try it.

The teen carefully and shyly slid his hand over Lightning's belly. The touch made her wince, partly because of the pain and partly because of the shiver that ran through her.

"Hey!, what are you doing?"

"Don't you worry", Hope gave her a sweet half-smile. "Well now, tell me where it hurts."

Lightning looked at him, unsure, slightly flushed, but eventually took Hope's hand in hers and led it to the exact point of her lower abdomen.

"There. Whatever you're planning, please be careful, it hurts."

"I know. Close your eyes and relax."

Though still reluctant, Lightning obeyed. Hope concentrated and channeled his healing magic through his hand, transferring it to the inflamed womb of the young woman. He hadn't used a Cure spell since he came to the new world as such, but it seemed to be going well, judging by Lightning's blissful face.

He continued casting his healing magic for a few minutes until he thought it was no longer necessary. He withdrew his hand and placed it over hers.

"You feel better now?", he asked softly, smiling sweetly. Lightning slowly opened her eyes, smiling back.

"Much better… The pain almost vanished."

He widened his smile, and gently squeezed her hand.

"Now that we know that magic works, you won't have to bear such bad days."

Lightning snuggled against him, smiling and blushing. She wondered again if she really deserved to have Hope by her side, but the fact was that he was right. Why should she ask?

"Thanks, Hope. I'm sorry for being such a nuisance every month."

"Don't say that", Hope replied shaking his head. "It's a pleasure for me to look after you. I can't be happier when protecting you."

"C'mon… It's not I'm gonna die for this, and besides, I know you enjoy it more when I'm the one looking after you", Lightning laughed, but her blush deepened. "Though… I don't mind you 'protect' me from time to time. Actually… I like it when you do it."

Hope chuckled, leaned over her and placed a soft kiss on her nose, a sweet smile on his lips.

"I know."


	5. Song

**A/N: **_This one was inspired during my second playthrough of _**LR: FFXIII**_, while doing missions in Luxerion. I guess you'll guess why._

_The other two songs I pictured Hope playing are _Hope's Theme_ from _**XIII-2**_ and _Sunset Path_ from _**LR**_._

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><p><em><strong>Fragments of Time<strong>_

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><p><strong>Song<strong>

_**Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII**_

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><p>Lightning suddenly awoke in the middle of the night. The first thing she noticed was the absence of Hope's warmth by her side; the cold sheets were evidence that he wasn't with her for a while. Her second reaction was turning around sleepily to the clock on her nightstand: past one o'clock in the morning.<p>

She slowly sat up, concerned. Where could Hope be at such late hour? This wasn't normal for him. Every time the young woman woke up, he was beside her. At least it had been that way for the last month. Could something be wrong?

_"__Stop thinking like a paranoid girlfriend"_, Lightning chided herself. _"Maybe he's just gone to the bathroom."_

Though, if the sheets were as cold as they were, that meant Hope was gone for at least half an hour. That left only two options: either he was constipated, or he wasn't in the bathroom.

Lightning sighed, got up from the bed and, a bit tottering from sleep, left the room. To be fair, she had no reason to worry, she knew that: if Hope had one of his nightmares she'd have noticed. It had to be something else.

And truth be told, Lightning didn't like not knowing where he was. She had reunited with him only two months ago, and the possibility of losing him terrified her. Hope was the only person she was sure that wouldn't ever leave her alone, and when something like that happened, she couldn't help but feeling that irrational fear.

She went downstairs carefully, her eyes adjusting to the dim light they always left on in the living room.

"Hope?", she called, rubbing her eyes. "Where are you?"

There was no answer. Lightning sighed and scratched her head. If Hope were in the living room or in the kitchen he'd have heard her. She had already checked the bathroom. And as she passed the studio's door she had seen the light was off.

She was about to give up and turn to the phone when she suddenly heard a very faint sound. Lightning looked up in alert, trying to identify the source. It seemed to come from the large living room's window. She took a few steps towards it, listening; as she came closer, she realized it was music. From a stringed instrument, no doubt.

When she was next to the window, she also heard the sound of a voice. Almost inaudible, but recognizable enough for her, and it was certainly singing.

Lightning smiled. She now knew where she could find what she was looking for.

She left the house and headed to the small grove next to it; despite being late summer, it was a bit cold at that hour, and Lightning rubbed her arms as she walked, cursing her idea to go out only wearing her nightgown. Luckily, as she moved, the music got increasingly louder, as well as the voice.

Finally she reached the edge of the grove, about forty yards from their house. There, sitting under a tree, his back to her, Lightning found Hope with a guitar in his hands, playing a tune that sounded both melancholic and hopeful at the same time, accompanied by his voice. From what she could hear, the song spoke of times past, of what once had been and no longer was, and the wish to get back what was lost.

She hid behind a tree and watched him in silence, listening to that song and letting Hope's voice get over her. She never heard him sing before, and she knew that if he found out she was listening he'd likely get so nervous he couldn't keep going. She wanted to listen to the end. Furthermore, if she felt alluded by the lyrics of the song, being sung by Hope turned that feeling as tenfold. The idea of Hope singing a song for her made her blush slightly. It was a stupid cliché, yes, but she had to admit she liked it, even though the young man didn't even know she was listening.

It was incredible, Lightning often thought. Even without being aware, Hope always found the way to get to her heart.

When Hope finally finished the song, Lightning saw him take a deep breath, humming something that he lazily accompanied with a casual guitar melody. He looked relaxed, sitting there on the grass, with his loose white shirt and also loose gray pants, his messy silver hair shining under the moonlight. A version of Hope loads nicer than the one she often had to see, when his horrible past experiences assailed him in form of nightmares.

Once she had watched and heard him enough, Lightning decided to come out of her hiding. She walked slowly toward him; absorbed as he was, Hope didn't notice her presence and continued humming, his long fingers absently stroking the guitar strings.

"Hope…", she called him softly. Though she tried not to scare him, her caution didn't help much: the young man almost jumped on the spot, startled, causing a comical out of tune note by nearly ripping a string, and quickly turned to her.

"Ah… Light…", immediately after recognizing her, Hope's pale face stained by a blush; she couldn't help but chuckle at seeing him so embarrassed and not knowing where to hide the guitar. "I, uh… I didn't know you were here."

"For a while now", Lightning said, sharpening her smile when she noticed Hope's flush became brighter when he deduced she had heard him singing. She pointed at the guitar and asked, "Where did you get it?"

Hope looked down at the instrument, still unwittingly trying to hide it.

"I bought it shortly after my rebirth… I already had one in the old world, Father taught me to play", he shyly murmured, smiling wistfully. "I used to play it to relax when the work in the Academy began to drive me crazy, or whenever I felt lonely… I lost the habit when Chaos flooded the world and I hadn't any time to even relax for a bit, but I started again when I was reborn."

"I didn't know", Lightning said, honestly surprised. "I've never heard you play in the time we've been living together."

Hope looked up at her, still a bit flushed, and gave her one of his warm, radiant smiles.

"Well, I haven't got the need since then. I haven't felt lonely once all this time."

Lightning felt her face flush as well. Whenever this happened she inwardly cursed Hope for being the only one able to make her blush, but she found it so hard to be angry with him for a long time. Not to mention she wasn't even truly angry.

"So you were feeling lonely today?", she replied, however, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't the kind of woman who answered with cheesy lines that kind of comments. But Hope was used to it; in fact, sometimes he had told her it was one of the things he liked most about her.

"Of course not", he laughed. "Actually, I wanted to be alone for a little while. It is such a beautiful night, and since I couldn't sleep, I thought that maybe playing a bit would help me sleep."

"Oh, I see", Lightning tilted her head, hesitantly. "I didn't mean to disturb you. If you want me to leave…"

"Not at all", Hope was quick to answer, raising a hand and gently grabbing her wrist. "Light, your company is always pleasant to me. Unexpected at worst, but never unwanted."

She shyly smiled. Her shy side was another thing only Hope could bring to the surface.

"Can I stay, then?"

"You don't even have to ask", Hope said, smiling back and releasing her wrist. "All the time that pleases you."

Lightning sat beside him, leaned her back against the tree's trunk and rested her head on Hope's shoulder. Her smile grew a little wider when she felt the young man's arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. For a short while, they sat in silence gazing at the starry sky and enjoying each other's company without more watchers than the guitar Hope had left by his side, on the grass.

"How are you feeling?", Hope asked her then, leaving a soft kiss on her temple. "It's not usual you're awake at this hour."

"I'm fine. I don't know why I woke up, really. I guess it was because of you", she replied, faintly blushing when she felt the gentle touch of the young man's lips.

"Because of me? Did I woke you up by playing the guitar?", Hope looked guilty.

"No, I meant you weren't with me", Lightning reassured him. "I've gotten used to you sleeping next to me, and maybe, somehow, I felt that I missing… something."

"I see", he muttered, and gave her a half smile. "I didn't want to wake you up, so I didn't tell you anything. But it seems it's been more harm than good…"

"That's not true. I gained the upper with your idea", Lightning looked at him amusedly. "I'm sitting with you outdoors under the moonlight and I've heard you sing. This doesn't happen every day."

Hope's pale face turned scarlet again, as she knew her words would do, and he let out a short embarrassed laugh.

"I'm surprised you still haven't decided to pack up and leave after hearing me sing. It's far from being one of my talents. Few people would want to go through that."

"Oh, you don't say. Well, something tells me, I'm one of these people", Lightning tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "In fact, I'd want to hear you sing again. I'd love to."

Hope's blush got even deeper.

"Light… Really, I'm so bad at it… And knowing that you're listening, I'll get out of tune even more."

"I want to hear you sing, Hope. Please."

"You know I perform significantly worse under pressure."

"Right. Then I'll take back the 'please' part."

Hope sighed and ran a hand over his neck. He looked at Lightning with resignation in his light-colored eyes.

"You aren't going to leave me alone until I do, are you?"

"You should know the answer to that by now", she gave him a sly look. Hope smiled, despite himself.

"You know you've been quite whimsical lately? Kind of reminds me of a little girl."

"That'd be Lumina's doing", Lightning shrugged. "Get used to it."

He chuckled.

"I'll have to", he said, pulling her closer to him and kissing her forehead. "Because I have no intention of ever leave your side again."

"Well, c'mon, drop it", she laughed, pulling away from him; this time it was her turn to blush. "Sing whatever you want, but just sing already and don't try to distract me, it won't work."

Hope shook his head, smiled shyly and took the guitar he had left beside him. He played a few notes to make sure the nightly humidity hadn't got the strings out of tune, and looked up at the starry sky thoughtfully.

"Do you have any particular preference?", the young man asked, still with that smile between shy and mischievous on his lips. Lightning wondered what the hell he would be up to, but as long as he sang again, the truth was she didn't really mind.

"I don't know much about music. I'll leave it to you."

He simply sharpened his smile, his blush growing a bit deeper as well.

"Then… Well, since you insist that I sing, I guess you won't mind if I dedicate it to you, right?", he softly said, looking at her as expectant as embarrassed. Lightning felt her heart race as she realized what was on Hope's mind: the young woman had asked him to sing whatever he wanted, but he was talking about a _serenade_. For her. That sounded like another cliché from those romance movies she loathed, but somehow, the thought of being Hope the one who sang it for her… It sounded like a dream to her.

"… No, of course not", she managed to say, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice, and cleared her throat. "Just sing already."

Hope shortly nodded and gave her another smile, much more radiant and warmer than before, but it still had that tinge of shyness, truth be told, Lightning found so adorable.

"In that case, this is for you, Light."

She stared at him expectantly as he played a few chords looking for the right tune, and once he looked pleased, he began to play. The melody his fingers gently plucked from the strings was oddly familiar to her, but it wasn't until Hope started to sing when she recognized the song.

_To the scarlet streak of light_

_To the one that pierces the silence_

_You illuminate the night_

_In most awe-inspiring ways_

Lightning closed her eyes. She remembered that song. She heard it in the old world, in Nova Chrysalia, sung by the minstrels of the city of Luxerion. She knew it was a song written to the Savior of legends, but she never imagined she'd hear it again. Much less it'd be Hope who sang it to her, in that voice so soft and gentle it seemed to cradle her and made her melt inside.

Hope seemed to notice this, because his voice became a bit more confident when he continued with the next part of the song. Somehow, the fact he was who was singing that song made Lightning thought it had been written for that moment to take place. For Hope to sing it to her. Because he couldn't have chosen a better one.

_Sent up from high above_

_A name like a precious poem_

_Let me sing this song to you_

_Gracious savior of my soul_

When she heard the last verse, Lightning opened her eyes, blushing and her heart pounding. She was sure the song didn't go that way, even though she didn't clearly remember. But of that, she had no doubts. Hope had changed that verse for her, turning the impersonal tone of the ode to the Savior into something that truly involved a deeper story about her. And him. About both.

After playing the last note, Hope looked down, as flushed as her. He seemed to shun Lightning's eyes, though a small smile could be seen in his face.

"I told you", the young man murmured. "I sing so horribly."

"No", Lightning shook her head, and not giving him a chance to say another word, she hugged him, getting a faint, surprised gasp from him. "Don't even say it, or I'll make of that guitar a hat for you. You'll better shut up and not ruin this."

Hope took a moment to react, but he soon smiled and happily returned the hug. Lightning knew how much it meant to him what he had done, despite how awkward he was at that kind of stuff; actually, she was aware Hope's biggest problem with her was his shyness, and she wanted him to overcome it. Not to mention, that simple song also meant a lot for her.

It was amazing how little they needed to both feel happy. Probably because they had been literally a millennia without each other, and fate had done everything possible to keep them separated. Anything, no matter how small it was, meant a whole universe for them.

"Hope…", Lightning broke the silence after a while, still hugging him.

"Yes?"

"That last verse…", the young woman paused, and then she slyly looked up at Hope. "Seen this way, I could sing the same song to you and nothing would change at all."

Hope laughed softly, stroking her hair.

"I'm no Savior, Light."

"Yes, you are", she replied. "You're my Savior, my one and only Savior. You saved me, just me. With no sacred powers whatsoever. Without you, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Neither would I. We know that both. But this isn't the first time we've discussed about this, and we've never agreed", Hope noted, amused.

"You're right", Lightning laughed. "It'd be loads easier if we both admitted we are each other's Savior. But you're annoyingly stubborn and you'll never admit it…"

"It won't be an easy job for you to get it. However…", Hope gave her a mischievous smile. "You try it with the second part of your statement, you might convince me."

Lightning looked at him blankly, but his expression made her fear another of his schemes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said earlier you could sing the same song for me since I'm your Savior", he smiled. "It actually doesn't sound bad at all."

"What?", Lightning pulled away from him like a spring, feeling his cheeks burn. "Ah, no. No way. That's not gonna happen."

"That's not fair, Light", Hope tilted his head, staring at her plaintively. "You got me into singing. You owe me one, and we'll be even."

"Forget it, Hope. I don't sing."

"I don't believe it. I'm sure that, with such a beautiful voice you have, hearing you sing is truly a privilege."

"For damn sure it is, because don't think you'll hear me, neither you nor anyone else."

"You wouldn't even do it for me?", the young man's playful smile grew. "Such little regard you have for me. For one thing I'm asking of you."

Lightning snorted and crossed her arms, looking away from his abandoned-puppy-dog eyes. She knew that if she kept looking at them, she couldn't say 'no' to him.

"Since when is not wanting to sing having little regard for you? It's not that I'm making you sleep in the couch", she protested.

"Well, we're together… You know, that includes make feel happy to each other. And you have no idea how much happy it'd make me feel if you sang anything to me."

"You're a manipulative bastard."

"I know", Hope chuckled and clasped his hand to hers. "I could also get on my knees and beg, but I don't think it's going to work any better."

"And it'd be much more pathetic", Lightning mockingly teased, gently poking him with her finger on his forehead. Hope let out a short laugh, awkwardly, and rubbed the place her finger poked.

"Anyway… I guess fortune isn't on my side today to convince you", he softly laughed. "And I can't tease you for much long, so I'll have to deal with it. Shame to me."

Lightning looked at him, feeling a bit guilty. The truth is that she had made Hope sing, despite his reluctance. But her singing was a very different thing. She was sure that if she tried, Hope would be the one to break up with her in horror.

However, despite his casual tone, Lightning knew how to identify his reactions and expressions almost perfectly. And beyond that smile, she saw the disappointment in Hope's green eyes. And she was aware this time he wasn't doing that to get what he wanted from her.

"Let's have a deal", she said, her eyes looking for his; Hope looked up. "If I give you something in exchange for singing, would I keep you owing you one?"

He stared at her for a few seconds. In his eyes gleamed an amused spark.

"It depends on what that would be."

"Hm… That makes things be difficult for me", Lightning pretended to think about it, and then she smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Would you accept a kiss instead?"

Hope blinked in surprise, but before he could even reply, Lightning suddenly sealed his lips with hers. She didn't usually do the first move unless she really wanted to, so Hope took a while to react. He soon, however, closed his eyes and answered her gently and sweetly, relishing every second of that kiss under the moonlight, in the arms of his beloved Savior.

When they finally pulled away, both blushing and softly gasping for breath, Hope whispered in Lightning's ear:

"We're even, Light."


	6. Void

**A/N:** _This is the first one from three drabbles I wrote about in-game events in _**LR: FFXIII**_. This one is directly based on the Meeting You scene, that is, Hope's farewell. It includes some meta parts about Hope's role in Bhunivelze's defeat and the purpose of this scene and his appearance in Light's heart and reasons for it. Angst galore, as expected._

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><p><strong><em>Fragments of Time<em>**

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><p><strong>Void<strong>

**_Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII_**

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><p><em>"<em>_As long as you were with me, Light…"_

The sound of his own words accompanied Hope in his last moments of consciousness before falling into the void. He knew his body was no longer his, and his fragmented soul would never return to the world of the living, not even to the dead.

_"… __I didn't have to fear anything."_

The fate that awaited him was the absolute cessation of existence. Something that not even the souls that left their bodies into the Unseen Realm experienced. Those souls were reincarnated, returning alongside humans over time, and despite losing their memories they could again enjoy life.

But Hope was doomed to disappear as if he never existed. His memories were about to be destroyed by his master, the radiant god Bhunivelze, inside whom he knew was the heart that he took away from him 169 years ago. Once God was defeated, his spirit would die with him. And nothing would remain of who once was the young leader of humanity.

_"__I'm not scared. Not even now."_

Despite the link Bhunivelze had created between both, which had led him to act in a different way he'd have done because God could see and hear through him, Hope had devised a plan for years to ensure his downfall. When he learnt Lightning would be chosen as the Savior and Bhunivelze's eternal servant, he had sworn to himself he wouldn't allow it. Even if it that meant his doom.

The plan was underway. Before falling into the void, Hope had managed to release himself from Bhunivelze's control and speak directly to Lightning's heart. He revealed her Vanille's true power, how she could reunite with her dear sister Serah, and that it was too late to save him. The three pillars on which his plan rested. Plus the message he had asked Mog to give Lightning once he was gone should do the trick.

Even if there actually was a minimal hope of salvation for him, Hope was taking no chances. Of Bhunivelze's defeat depended the fate of mankind and Lightning's freedom. If she tried to save him once she found out what happened to the other soul fragment of him, the only remaining part of his identity in the world, and put herself in danger for him… No, Hope wouldn't allow that. He hated lying to Lightning, and he hated not being able to tell her the whole truth.

But as he himself once said, long ago, it wasn't the lie what counted, but what you do after to compensate the harm. And if his plan went as planned, Lightning would be free at last. And he as well. Even at the expense of his own existence. A fate worse than death.

_"__Because you're here."_

But Hope was no longer scared. He had been able to see Lightning one last time. To speak to her as himself. To say her goodbye. If he needed anything to reassure him in his determination to sacrifice for her and her future, it was knowing that, if his plan worked, Lightning would be free, happy and she could reunite with her friends and her sister. He knew he would never see her smile again, but just knowing she _would_ smile was enough for him. He didn't need anything else.

He had only one thing to regret in those last moments of consciousness. Lightning would never know what Hope's heart had felt for her for a thousand years, what had inspired him to become the leader of mankind, what had made him fell into insanity, and what had led him to be taken away his freedom for eternity. It was useless to tell her, Hope told himself, using his scientist pragmatic logic. It would only make her suffer, it would endanger the outcome of his plan if because of those three words he longed to tell her she took the risk to save him while dueling with Bhunivelze. And once she defeated God, his soul would be destroyed at last. When a soul was erased, the memories of the identity to which it belonged would be as well. This was God's plan for the dead, but Hope had his own too, and if everything went according to his calculations, only one soul would undergo that fate: his.

His memory would disappear from humanity's. Hope had tried to convince himself that it was the best for everyone, and that Lightning would be happier if she forgot him and moved on a happy life with her dear sister Serah and everyone else. It was his duty, his last service to mankind that wouldn't even be remembered, as the Director of the Academy and the Guardian of Life as Bhunivelze named him while he stayed imprisoned in the Ark before descending as his avatar.

But now Lightning would completely forget his existence, once it was over, and as much as Hope wanted to convince himself through logic, the heart within him that hadn't been yet assimilated by his master hurt as if a thousand knives stabbed it. The young man who had suffered so much out of love would vanish into the abyss of oblivion without daring to confess his feelings to the woman he had pained for over centuries to prevent her from going through the least possible suffering. Hope had been a l'Cie, the leader of the Academy and humanity, and servant and vessel of God, and he knew that some things in life he just did, even if they were painful or hard.

However, in those last moments of existence, Hope Estheim felt truly human again for the first time in many centuries.

As he fell into the darkest void, enveloped in that golden light that had swallowed him in Lightning's heart, he put his hands to his heart, which shone with an unearthly glow in the engulfing darkness of Chaos as if it tried to bring as much light as it was able in the last remaining moments of his life, and for the first time in 169 years, the young man in the body of a child could at last let out his pain and regret as bright tears flowed from his eyes and soared as raindrops as he hurtled into the abyss of oblivion.

His last thought was, inevitably, to his beloved Light.

_"… __I'm so glad to have met you."_


End file.
